CNN's Jim Acosta gestures as he leaves federal court in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018, following a hearing on a legal challenge against President Donald Trump's administration over the revocation of his White House "hard pass." (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)PHOTO:AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

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Trump Administration Defends Case Against Acosta

By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump's administration is trying to fend off a legal challenge from CNN and other outlets over the revocation of journalist Jim Acosta's White House press credentials.

U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Kelly heard arguments Wednesday afternoon from lawyers representing CNN and the Justice Department. The news network is seeking an immediate restraining order that would force the White House to return Acosta's credentials — which grant reporters as-needed access to the 18-acre complex.

Kelly was expected to announce his decision Thursday afternoon.

Acosta has repeatedly clashed with Trump and press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders in briefings over the last two years. But the dynamic devolved into a near-shouting match during a combative press conference last week following midterm elections in which Republicans lost control of the House.

Acosta refused to give up a microphone when the president said he didn't want to hear anything more from him. Trump called Acosta a "rude, terrible person."

The White House quickly announced that Acosta's White House access would be revoked.

The CNN lawsuit calls the revocation "an unabashed attempt to censor the press and exclude reporters from the White House who challenge and dispute the President's point of view."

The Associated Press joined with a group of 12 other news organizations, including Fox News, in filing an amicus brief Wednesday in support of CNN.

"Secret Service passes for working White House journalists should never be weaponized," said a statement by Fox News President Jay Wallace. "While we don't condone the growing antagonistic tone by both the President and the press at recent media avails, we do support a free press, access and open exchanges for the American people."

On Wednesday, Justice Department lawyer James Burnham argued that Acosta was guilty of "inappropriate grandstanding" and deserved to lose his access over "his refusal to comply with the general standards of a press conference."

Burnham also pointed out that CNN has dozens of other staffers with White House credentials, so excluding Acosta would not harm the network's coverage.

The network's lawyer, Theodore Boutrous, contended that Acosta was being singled out for his coverage of the White House, not his alleged rudeness during a press conference.

"The White House has made very clear that they don't like the content of the reporting by CNN and Jim Acosta," Boutrous said. "Rudeness really is a code word for 'I don't like you being an aggressive reporter.'"

Prior to Wednesday's hearing, the White House had maintained that it has "broad discretion" to regulate press access to the White House.

A pre-hearing legal filing argued, "The President and his designees in the White House Press Office have exercised their discretion not to engage with him and, by extension, to no longer grant him on-demand access to the White House complex so that he can attempt to interact with the President or White House officials."

Trump himself, in an interview published Wednesday, was uncertain how the court fight would end, saying: "We'll see how the court rules. Is it freedom of the press when somebody comes in and starts screaming questions and won't sit down?"

Trump told The Daily Caller that "guys like Acosta" were "bad for the country. ... He's just an average guy who's a grandstander who's got the guts to stand up and shout."

The White House's explanations for why it seized Acosta's credentials have shifted over the last week. Sanders initially explained the decision by accusing Acosta of making improper physical contact with the intern seeking to grab the microphone. But that rationale disappeared after witnesses backed Acosta's account that he was just trying to keep the mic, and Sanders distributed a doctored video that made it appear Acosta was more aggressive than he actually was.

On Tuesday, Sanders accused Acosta of being unprofessional by trying to dominate the questioning at the news conference.

Both Sanders and Trump are named as defendants in the CNN suit, along with Chief of Staff John Kelly and Randolph Alles, director of the Secret Service.

CNN picks a left leaning federal judge and files suit. Left leaning judge finds in their favor, as expected. Supreme Court eventually overturns the finding. This is how things seem to work in today’s judicial system. If there had been any chance of the judge finding in Trumps favor, CNN would have filed with a different judge. In my opinion.

If I was Trump I would never call on him again ignore his rude awful butt If Acosta wants respect he should give it.
Trump is trying to better the United States not harm it he's not a lying politician He is a business man I don't agree with everything he does but he is sure better than any crazy as a bat hillary or obama ect.

Every body does realize that Trump comes at his problems as a businessman from New York City right. He is not a politician so he has a low tolerance for politicians, bullies, and people that do not like change. He promised to change things and he means to do just that not as a politician but as a Businessman.

Rational, your comment isn't rational. Echo chambering is more like it.
The Free press is the backbone of a Democracy, not an enemy.
When news outlets are repressed, the result is Autocracy, Dictatorship or Authoritarianism

Rational. That is why their viewer ratings are in the basement with the exception of Fox. I hear theirs will be falling with the new management coming onboard after being bought out. Fox Nation is now an option.

Other James, you are so far off its delusional. Lost badly? Your party lost 3 times as many house seats and lost senate seats during the first mid terms while obummer was in office. Secondly, freedom of the press does not guarantee access to the white house. CNN still has plenty of reporters who have access.

Even Fox News submitted an official brief in support of Acosta. I don’t think the CNN haters fully understand that if a President can rule the press that it could be applied to conservative news groups in the future.

For the far left-wingers on the board who are deeply concerned about the terrible abuse of Jim Acosta, the hard line taken by Trump, and the threat to the First Amendment, take a look at the attached video. Please tell me why in one case all is well (even cheering) and the other is so unacceptable Source: [][] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bb7uluvfOXI&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR1vZuZ8QKoez8o7pun6DBetthshKuQC2CDYD-LSdfkloiN-C9Hwf4qNjiM [][].

The news is going the way of the dodo bird. That's why circulation is down and these free sites are thriving. You do get what you pay for so you can't complain when they don't ask questions, they just post what the official tells them to post. Investigative reporters and papers are being scooped up by tech companies and then sidelined.

acosta went from a reporter to an activist.. He needs to have been escorted out for his lack of any respect. It's very simple.. Ask the tough questions but do not make a complete fool of yourself and your company.

Trump would be better off if he communicated only with his cheerleaders at Fox. After repeatedly calling the mainstream media "the enemy of the people", you can be assured he's going to get aggressive questioning from the real press corps.

The front row is established by the news organizations hierarchy but yes, if you don't ask him a question, when you call on another CNN person, they will defer their question to their colleague Accosted and the mess starts all over just for ratings. Nobody is limiting his freedom of speech or of the press, just do it at CNN HDQ, not in the people's house. You don't have a right to come into the Whitehouse. He is just pissed that the bomber didn't send a bomb to him, then he really would have felt important. I say, when you see him in public, get up in his face and don't let him eat.

I agree with the fact that CNN has ample other reporters to cover press conferences. He overstepped his privilege to cover the President and it is a privilege. Tell him try and get a job at the National Enquirer.. Pretty sure that would be a better fit. He can write what he wants but he needs learn some respect from his mamma. I was sad that he was such a rude buffoon. Shocked more that CNN has not fired him. Of course, they are no longer a respected news source.